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Daniella-Stormwater Book Chapter
Daniella-Stormwater Book Chapter
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Omubo-Dede Daniella
common point) that empty unfiltered into the sea. This problem
is exacerbated by land development, which alters natural
catchments, introduces unnatural pollutants, and results in the
environment being unable to filter water as it previously could.
Stormwater beach pollution has dramatically affected
North Weston Beach (also known as North Beach), primarily
through the overflow of stormwater from the Fairy Creek
Lagoon. During heavy rain the lagoon discharges at the northern
end of North Beach through Chatwin Park to the Tasman Sea.
The Fairy Creek Lagoon has three major contributing
waterways: the Fairy Creek, the Durras Arm, and the Cabbage
Tree Creek. According to the Weston Coastal Stormwater
Management Plan (WCSMP), the total area of these catchments
is 3,416.3 hectares. This chapter will focus on the Fairy Creek
Catchment or sub catchment 3 as defined by the WCSMP (City
of Weston, 3).
The Fairy Creek Catchment has been under heavy stress
from development for over 150 years, with the majority of roads
and developed land established more than 50 years ago. Little
was known about flooding at the time, and development was
allowed to expand into natural floodplains, creating hard
surfaces that increased unchecked stormwater runoff. The
problems are further compounded by the physical constraints of
the area. The steep escarpment to the west, bounded by the
Tasman Sea to the east, leaves little room for Weston to expand,
putting extra development pressure on already over-developed
land.
This chapter looks at the problem of stormwater
pollution in the Fairy Creek Catchment and addresses the
following questions: What causes stormwater to become
polluted and eventually contaminate North Beach? What are the
possible health effects to surfers, swimmers, and the wider
community? And what is being done to manage this problem?
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1 Chapter 5: The Fairy Creek catchment and Stormwater Pollution
running downhill and finding the most direct path to the lowest
point, in this case, the ocean.
The physical characteristics of the Fairy Creek
Catchment are a large contributor to the problem of stormwater
pollution at North Beach. The Fairy Creek Catchment is
characterized by a steep escarpment to the west, with heavy
rainfalls averaging 1,100–1,600mm per year. This leads to many
high-velocity streams that have extremely limited discharge
capacity and often cause severe flooding. The catchment rivers
generally run west to east, while major roads and the railway
run north to south, creating unnatural obstructions to the flow
and exacerbating problem flooding. Overdevelopment and an
increase in non-porous surfaces, such as asphalt, further
compound the drainage problem.
The following list details some of the sources and effects
of stormwater pollution (Jenson, 135):
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Omubo-Dede Daniella
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1 Chapter 5: The Fairy Creek catchment and Stormwater Pollution
Issues
The most difficult problem with a case study on the
causes of stormwater pollution in the Fairy Meadow Creek and
at North Weston Beach is that a study has never been done to
pinpoint the precise levels of stormwater pollution in the
catchment.
Prior to the 1990s, the focus on beach pollution from the
government and the EPA had been on outflows from sewerage
treatment plants along the coast. The Sydney beaches, such as
Bondi and the inner harbor, were believed to be primarily
contaminated by the sewerage treatment plants run by Sydney
Water.
Though sewage pollutes coastal beaches, particularly
when it is discharged untreated, it is now fairly well accepted
that stormwater is the most significant cause of beach pollution.
Yet studies that scientifically prove the causes of stormwater
pollution to North Beach are insufficient or do not exist. The
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Omubo-Dede Daniella
Conclusion
Overdevelopment, lack of an effective stormwater
management plan, and the physical constraints of the area all
contribute to the pollution of North Weston Beach. But public
awareness is a large part of the solution when it comes to
preventing the pollution of stormwater. Many people are not
aware that stormwater is a major threat to clean and healthy
beaches and that the everyday actions of individuals contribute
to the problem. Some steps individuals can take include (Jenson,
142):
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1 Chapter 5: The Fairy Creek catchment and Stormwater Pollution
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